Raven FAC

A U.S. Air Force Cessna 0-1E Bird Dog aircraft (s/n 56-4200) in flight over Vietnam in 1967.

One of the folks who hangs out here at Le Chant from time to time is a former Phantom Phlyer and raconteur extraordinaire Virgil Xenophon.

I first "met" Virgil over at Lex's place. He's been around the block, flown fast jets over the "friendly" skies of Southeast Asia and lived to tell about it.

Not everyone who flew there lived to tell about it. The other day, Juvat was remembering and Virgil had this to say -

Lots of names, but the one that stands out for me--a courageous pilot and good friend--Sam Deichelmann, Capt, USAF, (RAVEN 47) MIA, SVN, 6 Sept '68. (Ironically, Sam was never downed in Laos, the most dangerous part of his tour, but, but during a "vacation" trip to see his brother at Bien Hoa (where he was flying F-4s) Sam was then to wend his way up the coast for an end-of-tour party an old friend--a Prairie Fire FAC--and I were throwing him at Da Nang before he returned to his base in Laos.

(I believe Sam has finally been declared KIA and promoted to Major posthumously due to his time in MIA status.)

PS: His brother was later killed in a mid-air refueling accident. The sons of an AF Maj General, all three (and their Mother) are interred at Arlington--with a memorial headstone for Sam.

Upon further reflection, it's funny how the dots are sometimes connected. I first met Sam in summer of '65 at Lockbourne AFB, Columbus OH where I was attending AFROTC "summer camp." Lockbourne was a SAC base with KC-135s and C-130s. Sam was a 1st/Lt 130 right-seater--met him at the O-Club--he was both a man's man and a ladies man all rolled into one. We stayed in touch, where he eventually proceeded me to SEA where he became a C-123 "Blind-Bat" AC. in Laos before he became an O-1 RAVEN FAC. He found out I was at Da Nang thru a mutual friend, an O-4 Prairie Fire FAC who staged out of Da Nang, but worked exclusively in Laos. Sam managed to get over to Da Nang a couple of times for 2-day FAC "coordinating conferences." (LOL) so I got to know him well if only briefly. He went MIA leaving Bien Hoa after seeing his brother on an "end of tour" trip which was to have included a trip to Da Nang for a party the Prairie Fire types were throwing him. Such is life... a helluva guy--one of a kind. The RAVEN site has a special page for him as does Arlington.

Juvat suggested this story might make a good post. I thought so too.

Meet Major Samuel Mackall Deichelmann, USAF -

(Source)

His Dad, Major General Matthew Kemp Deichelmann, USAF -

(Source)

And his brother, Captain Stephen Travis Deichelmann, USAF -

(Source)

Before we go further, what's a FAC? Well (as you might suspect), FAC is an acronym which stands for Forward Air Controller. These guys flew in small, light aircraft which could loiter over a battlefield at slow speeds to help direct CAS (Close Air Support) for troops in contact on the ground. The fighter bombers of the time were just too fast to spot targets on the ground in the hilly jungle of Vietnam without endangering friendly troops.

Theirs' was a dangerous job indeed, ground fire and terrain were always waiting to bring down their small birds. Trying to coordinate troop locations on the ground --friendly and enemy--, direct air strikes, operate the radio and fly the aircraft kept a fellow busy! These men were special individuals with nerves of steel.

Rather than paraphrase what Wikipedia has to say about the Raven FACs, I'll just quote that source at length. It jibes with other sources I've read on the program and will suffice:

As tactical air strikes began to be used in Laos, it became apparent that for the safety of noncombatants, some means of control was necessary. Beginning at least as early as July 1964, the absence of a close air support control system caused a variety of enterprising individuals to improvise procedures for marking bombing targets. At various times, ground markers (including bamboo arrows) and dropped smoke grenades were used. While some of these individuals had military training, such as the American Army Attaché, others had little or no specialized training in close air support. They varied in nationality, being Thai, Lao, or Hmong, as well as American. Both Continental Air Services, Inc and Air America pilots would sometimes serve as ad hoc forward air controllers.

To begin an operation of great secrecy, the U. S. Air Force originally forwarded four sergeants from Combat Control Teams in 1963. These sergeants turned in their uniforms and military identification and were supplied with false identification so they could work in civilian clothing. This process was designed to preserve the fiction of American non-involvement dubbed plausible deniability. Once "civilianized", the Butterflies flew in the right (co-pilot's) seat in Air America Helio Couriers and Pilatus Porters. They were often accompanied by a Lao or Thai interpreter in the back seat. The Air Commando sergeants directed the air strikes according to U. S. Air Force doctrine, using the radio call sign Butterfly.

Two of the Butterfly Air Force combat controllers were Master Sergeant Charlie Jones, soon joined by Technical Sergeant James J. Stanford. Another of the Butterflies was Major John J. Garrity, Jr., who in future would spend several years as the éminence grise of the American Embassy to Laos. They, and their successors, ran air strikes without notice or objection until General William Momyer discovered that enlisted men were in charge of air strikes; at that point, he ordered their replacement with rated fighter pilots. By that time, the number of Butterflies had escalated to three pairs. Both the impromptu strike controlling and the Butterfly effort ended with General Momyer's tirade in April 1966.

Development of rules of engagement by the Embassy also threw more reliance on increased control over the in-country close air support. So did the introduction of an integrated close air support system for Southeast Asia in April 1966. Also, beginning in April 1966, part of its effort to better direct air strikes, the U. S. Air Force installed four tactical air navigation systems in Laos to guide U. S. air strikes. One of these was emplaced on a mountain top at Lima Site 85, aimed across the border at Hanoi.

A successor operation, code-named Palace Dog, began replacing this original Butterfly effort in 1966. Central Intelligence Agency agent James William Lair recommended the use of Lao interpreters flying in the rear seat of light aircraft flown by American pilots, thus establishing the Ravens. The Ravens were airborne fighter pilots in unarmed light aircraft who flew observation missions, marked enemy targets with smoke rockets, directed air strikes onto them, and observed and reported bomb damage assessment post strike. They were based in five Lao towns: Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet, and at Long Tieng on the Plain of Jars.

To put things in their geographical context -

Google Maps

Virgil mentions Prairie Fire FACs as well - 

Prairie Fire was an operation which sent MACV-SOG* units (Green Beret) into Lao. It was conducted in conjunction with the Marine Operation known as Dewey Canyon in the A Shau Valley south of Fire Base Vandergrift and south of the Rock Pile and Camp Carroll. The area in Laos was designated Prairie Fire.  

Later, an emergency call of Prairie Fire from this area authorized all available air, sea and ground units to respond. Of course, there were no sea and ground units available in Laos. All air units were authorized and expected to respond. A Prairie Fire was called just east of the village of Xepon in early Aug, 1969 when about 2 dozen Green Beret ran into a division size NVA** force and all air units available responded. (Source)

Another good FAC story is here. You can read about Blind Bats here.

I hope that sheds some light on what Major Deichelmann's job was in Southeast Asia. Virgil was correct in his assumption that Maj Deichelmann had been declared KIA (Killed in Action) and promoted posthumously to Major. His entry at the unofficial Arlington Cemetery website is here. His brother's is here and their father's is here.

I have been searching the web of world-wideness for more information on the brother of Virgil's friend, Captain Stephen Deichelmann but information is somewhat scarce on his fate, other than he was killed in a mid-air collision with another aircraft. He has a street named for him at Nellis AFB in Nevada which lends credence to a story I read which says he was killed after his tour of duty as an F-4 Phantom pilot in Southeast Asia. The Arlington website says he was killed over Vietnam.

Their father had a long career in the military and was a graduate of West Point. His Air Force biography is here and his West Point memorial page is here.

Both boys attended Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama upon whose website they are profiled, Major Deichelmann here, Captain Deichelmann here. The major is also mentioned in a book excerpt, here.

Three men who served their country and served her well. Two paid the ultimate price. Mrs. Deichelmann outlived them all but eventually rejoined her boys at Arlington.

The FACs from the Vietnam War have their own website, pay them a visit and join me in remembering those brave men.

An O-1A over Vietnam.
(National Museum of the Air Force Photo)

An O-2A fires smoke markers at a target.
(National Museum of the Air Force Photo)

An OV-10A marks a target for a 531st TFS F-100D, 1969.
(National Museum of the Air Force Photo)

A 416th TFS F-100F Fast FAC, in 1968
(National Museum of the Air Force Photo)

* MACV-SOG = Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group, think Special Forces, or Green Beret as the source mentions.
** NVA = North Vietnamese Army